Cinema: The Alienation Blues

T.R. Baskin is heavy laden with home truths. Big cities Chicago in
this particular casealienate us one from the other. They corrupt.
They deaden. Upon occasion, one stranger meets another.
Some spark of humanity is generated, if only for a moment, but its
warmth and light rapidly flicker and die. Alone once more, the stranger
wanders down a crowded street . . .

Candice Bergen plays (she can never be said actually to portray) T.R.
Baskin, a callow young thing from Ohio, so fresh faced that she looks
like a Clearasil testimonial. T.R. gets...